Dear Editor,

Parents, guardians, siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles and friends mourn today because of the non-stop shooting deaths in New Providence. The cycle is all too familiar.
Young Bahamian men are having their breath removed from their bodies because of violence and are becoming statistic after statistic; young men with unfulfilled dreams will soon be forgotten by the general public.
When will this carnage end? When did it begin? Does anyone have the answer?
The pain of losing a loved one in this manner leaves a stinging sensation on one's psyche, because in most cases it is totally unexpected. Additionally, the reasoning behind a lot of these deaths may seem silly to the general public, but the streets operate under a different code.
One of the major reasons, in my view, why crime, particularly murder, is so high in The Bahamas is because of the marijuana drug trade in the country. A lot of crime can be linked to some drug deal gone bad, some gun that was stolen, someone "running tape", and various other reasons. The complicit nature of Bahamian society and the lack of political will of successive governments has not helped the situation at all.
In 2011 The Bahamas saw 127 murders, which included name brand figures known to police, one of them nicknamed 'the Emperor'. If you check the records, a lot of these men had some connection to the drug trade. A lot of these victims were involved in serious crime before their untimely demise.
I have never used marijuana in my life, but I have read about and seen first hand some of its positive and negative attributes. From my vantage point, its use does not seem to be anywhere as dangerous as that of alcohol, a legal substance in The Bahamas.
The police have done a yeoman's job in terms of making historic drug arrests, and they probably arrest hundreds of people annually. But at what cost? Have we ever considered the folly in arresting someone for a natural drug that is used to heal people and ease their pain?
The illegality of marijuana is one of the best examples of a sovereign nation such as The Bahamas continuing to follow a 1980's worldview. Remember the War on Drugs lead by Nancy Reagan? If we did some research we would see what a hoax this was.
When will we conduct a study to determine the effects the illegal marijuana drug trade has on crime and murder in The Bahamas? When will we seriously look at the benefits of legalizing this trade?
I know it sounds crazy to some, but if you legalize marijuana in The Bahamas you would probably eliminate a criminal subculture within months. The dangers of drug traffickers travelling overseas to import this herb would be a thing of the past. There would be no need for these criminals to arm themselves with high-powered rifles to protect their contraband, their street ratings and credibility. Users would be able to walk into a government-regulated store and purchase the desired amount of weed legally. Of course, some rules would have to be set regarding quantities that can be purchased.
Drug dealers are very territorial and they command a certain respect on the streets. When certain lines are crossed, and they often are, the only answer thought of is violence.
The number of murdered people in The Bahamas so far in 2017 is now in the mid 70s. At this rate, we will record over 130 murders for this year. We are losing too many of our young men to violence, which stems either directly or indirectly from the marijuana drug trade.
Road blocks, saturation patrols and good investigative techniques will catch a few criminals, but it will not stem the violence because it does not address the root causes of the problem.
Despite the best efforts of law enforcement, people from all walks of life are getting high in The Bahamas every day, and in some cases all day. And it appears that supply is never an issue.
I think legalizing marijuana in The Bahamas will help to save many of our young Bahamian men from murder, because it will normalize a lot of the leading criminal elements in the country who arm themselves and their soldiers to protect their contraband and their reputations.

- Dehavilland Moss

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